Will try to bring NCP party to the NPF fold-Shürhozelie-In a major boost to the ruling Naga Peoples’ Front (NPF), two of the sitting Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) members in the Nagaland Legislative assembly along with their supporters have merged with the NPF, Wednesday.NCP legislators Dr. Chumben Murry who also holds the portfolio of minister for agriculture and Pangyuh Phom, parliamentary secretary, rural development & REPA along with their supporters formally merged with the NPF. With the latest merger, the NPF is now the only political party in the ruling coalition which also includes six independent MLAs. The speaker of the Nagaland Legislative Assembly has reportedly approved the merger of the two NPC legislators with the ruling NPF on Wednesday.The NPF now has 34 members in the 60-member assembly and six Independent MLAs while the opposition Congress 19 and one independent legislator.NPF welcomes: When contacted, NPF president and urban development minister Dr. Shurhozelie Liezietsu confirmed that the NPF has accepted the former NCP legislators and their supporters into the party fold.He said Wednesday’s decision was the first step towards bringing the NCP party en mass to the NPF fold in the coming days. Shürhozelie also disclosed that a formal reception for the then NCP party legislators and their supporters would be held after his return from the scheduled three days tour to Kiphire and Meluri starting from Thursday. It was learnt that the formalities were first completed at the Speaker’s official chamber and after which, the NCP party workers led by the two legislators met the NPF president Dr. Shurhozelie Liezietsu at his private residence near IG Stadium here Wednesday.Meanwhile, the NPF president in a statement said that the two NCP legislators and the party had unanimously resolved to merge with the NPF and in response; the NPF has accepted the request for merger of the two parties. He said the merger would strengthen the hands of the DAN government under the leadership of chief minister Neiphiu Rio and encourage the government to continue with its tireless efforts to accelerate development of Nagaland. He said the merger has strengthened DAN’s political stand of playing the role of active facilitator in the peace process in order to bring permanent peace through unity, oneness and reconciliation of all sections of the people. The ‘merger’ phenomenon, an euphemism for defection, has become almost a routine to the benefit of the NPF. It may be recalled that the NPF, after the 2003 elections, cobbled majority with the support of five NDM, seven BJP and three JD (U), one Samata Party and four independent MLAs.The NPF had won 19 and the Congress 21 seats.Four NDM caused a split and merged with the NPF followed by seven Congress members after they caused a split in the party legislature. After the merger at the national level of the JDU and Samata Party, three merged with the NPF.After the 2008 election, the DAN returned to power with the support of six of the seven independent members and two each from the BJP and NCP.The two BJP members merged with the NPF in May 2009 followed by the four former Congress members who resigned and won the by elections on the NPF ticket. Neiba, Tokheho react on mergerStaff ReporterDimapur, Jan12 (NPN): Former Nationalist Congress Party(NCP) president and current general secretary of the North East NCP Neiba Ndang,when asked for comment about the merger, expressed surprise by the turn of events. Talking to Nagaland Post over phone, Ndang said he had no inkling about the plan of the two party MLAs to defect to the NPF. The NCP general secretary North East said he came to know of the development only late Wednesday afternoon. He said Dr Chumben and Pangyuh may have their own reasons for doing what they did but that the state Nationalist Congress Party as a whole had neither discussed nor deliberated on any such proposal for merger with the NPF.Ndang also asserted that the NCP in Nagaland exists and will contiinue despite the latest setback. The NCP general secretary North east also said he would speak on the matter at an appropriate time.CLP leader Tokheho Yepthomi, reacted by saying that the merger with the NPF indicated that the leadership was jittery over growing dissension within the party.He said Purno A.Sangma the national general secretary of the NCP was in-charge of Nagaland unit, would not be too pleased with the latest setback.